Fruit-drier



0-. J. GEIGER.

FRUIT DRIER.

' Patented Dec. 20,1881.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY u. PETERS. momma. wmiwpr'c.

V UNITED STATES PATENT Current CONRAD GEIGER, OF ASHLEY, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-DRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,213, dated December 20, 1881, Application filed August 21, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD J. GEIGER, of Ashley, in the county of Washington and State of Illinois, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Fruit-Briers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the'construction and operation of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a representation of a perspective view of this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same.

This invention relates to fruit-driers; and it consists in the improved features of construction and combination hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the case-wall, which is designed to be rectangular in form, and supported upon standards B, which are based upon a sill-frame, O, which may also serve as a support for the front and rear hearings of the furnace D, this furnace being designed to extend centrally from front to rear, as shown in the drawings.

The top E of the case is made pyramidal, or with sides inclining inward, so as to gather the moisture-laden air, which is designed to be passed out of the drier through an ejectionpipe, F, which extends centrally upward from the case-top. In this top is suspended by hangers a an inverted pyramidal or convex deflector, G, which extends below the lower opening of the ejection-pipe F, and is designed to prevent a direct central current in the drier, the air being drawn over the inclined walls of the deflector and passing through the openings b over its edges into the chamber 0, whence it is drawn upward through the pipe.

The inverted pyramidal or convex deflector G rests upon a vertical longitudinal central partition, G, and is also secured to the ends of the case A. l

H represents the shelves or fruit-supporting trays, which are formed with interlacing cords, wires, or in any suitable manner to provide for the free passage of the air, these shelves being supported on ledges d, and being arranged to slide, so that they can be inserted or withdrawn through openings 6 in the casewall, which are closed by means of slides K working in rabbeted bearing-strips g.

The jacket L, within which the furnace is seated,is made in upward-flaring form, its up- .per edges being connected to the case-frame,

and the lower edges, 70, of its inclined sides S being free, but arranged along and near to the bottom portion of the furnace, so as to leave long air-inlets 71- between said edges and the furnace-wall. From the lower edges, 70, upward the inclined jacket sides at first hug the furnacewalhand afterward, or in their upper portion beyond the bends I, extend outward in a more flaring manner to the sides of the case, the angular inclination of these upper portions, N, being usually about forty-five degrees.

Extending over the top of the furnace, from the upper inclined portion, N, of one side of the jacketto the same portion of the other side, is a gable-roof-shaped deflector, 1t, havin g free edges m, between which and the jacketwalls are left elongated openings or passages n, through which the heated or rarefied air passes from the furnace-chamber V below, being held in said chamber somewhat by the defiector, and after passing through the passages a spread by the V-form cavities to between the deflector and jacket sides, so that the heated air is carried through all parts of the case, no central current being set up.

In order to draw off the moisture-laden air upward, a pipe-connection, p, is formed on the first section of the ejection-tube, whereby it is connected by a flue-pipe, P, to the furnace, as indicated at r, so that the heated air and pro- .ducts of combustion will pass directly into the upper part of this section of the ejection-tube and create a strong suction,which,assisted by the upward influence of the hot air passing into the case below from thefurnace-chamber, will draw off the moist air in a thorough manher, yet without rendering the air within the case too hot, which might scorch the fruit, because the heat in the drier is not proportioned directly to the heat of the furnace, a more rapid draft being set up by an overheated furnace, which changes the air in the case very quickly, so that the furnace-chamber acts as an automatic governor to prevent scorching, and does not require constant watching.

A drying-chamber having a furnace beneath and two flat and broad flues leading therefrom, which enter vertical flues, connecting above with a horizontal flue and a smoke-exit, is not new. A tapering top and a flaring bottom are In a fruit-drier, the combination, with the case A, having a tapering top, E, a central partition, G, extending from its bottom to near the tapering top, a central ejection-tube, and a pipe connecting the ejection-tube and a fur nace beneath the case, of the jacket L, made in upward and outward flaring form, its upper edges being connected to the case-frame, its edges It being free to form long air-inlets h, the gable-roof-shaped deflector R, having-free edges m, forming air-passages at between the jacket L and deflector R, and the inverted pyramidal or concave deflector G, connected to or resting upon the partition G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

CONRAD J. GEIGER.

Witnesses:

G. W. GAMMACK, W. D. MCBRIDE. 

